The 6-foot-6, 285-pound offensive tackle was displaced from his New Orleans home when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Weems stayed with family in California and attended Taft High School in Woodland Hills for his junior year.

Everything was going smoothly as Weems led the Toreadors to the L.A. City Section Championship game.

But Weems wasn't done earning frequent flier miles.

"My mother and father came to Texas at Christmas of this past year, so I came with them after the end of the first semester," Weems said.